This bill would require that, where the city has developed a plan for the creation or preservation This legislation would require the City to include measures to affirmatively further fair housing in its report on creation or preservation of affordable housing to address historic patterns of racial segregation.

By Council Members Richards, The Speaker (Council Member Johnson), Lander, Chin, Rosenthal, Constantinides, Reynoso, Perkins, Miller and Rivera

A Local Law in relation to requiring that city affordable housing plans address historic patterns of racial segregation

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

Section 1. Any citywide plan that provides for the creation or preservation of affordable housing shall, to the greatest extent practicable, provide for such creation or preservation in a manner that affirmatively furthers fair housing by taking meaningful actions, in addition to combating discrimination, that overcome patterns of segregation and foster inclusive communities free from barriers that restrict access to opportunity based on protected characteristics. Specifically, affirmatively furthering fair housing means taking meaningful actions that, taken together, address significant disparities in housing needs and in access to opportunity, replacing segregated living patterns with truly integrated and balanced living patterns, transforming racially and ethnically concentrated areas of poverty into areas of opportunity, and fostering and maintaining compliance with civil rights and fair housing laws. Such plan may explicitly address the prevention of displacement of residents.

§ 2. On or before January 1, 2020 and every five years thereafter, the department of housing preservation and development shall submit a report to the mayor and the council on its compliance with the obligations set forth in this local law, provided that such reporting shall be required no more frequently than once per five years.